INTRODUCTION
For the past decade, pain has been listed as the fifth vital
sign after blood pressure, body temperature, respiration
and pulse.1 Cancer pain, which is one of the most
common symptoms of cancer, is caused by tumour
compression and/or invasion of related tissues and
nerves; cancer pain considerably affects the quality of
life and mental health of patients. Because uncontrolled
severe pain is a contributor to cancer patient suicide,
it is urgently necessary to relieve cancer pain both
rapidly and effectively. Cancer pain in many patients
can be relieved by an analgesic ladder designed by the
World Health Organization (WHO).2 However, some
patients need to gradually increase the dosage of analgesics.3
The life quality of many patients is also seriously
affected by the adverse reactions of analgesics.4
Acupoint application with a traditional Chinese herbal
paste is used to treat many diseases.5-10 The paste can
have different formulas based on the purpose of the
treatment. Acupoint application is widely used in hospitals
due to its practical convenience and few side effects.
Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),
in this study, we designed a Dingqi analgesic patch, i.e.
a transdermal drug delivery system, and applied it to
patients with cancer pain. The active ingredients of traditional
Chinese herbs can be absorbed through the
skin. Compared to other drug administration methods,
this method avoids many adverse reactions. Its safety
and long-lasting pain-relieving effect make the Dingqi
analgesic patch especially suitable for terminal cancer
patients and patients for whom oral administration is
not available.